The Queen's Resistance (Vol. 2 The Rise of the Queen)

Nothing makes someone more vulnerable than love. In The Queen Stands , the highly anticipated sequel to The Queen Rises , Rebecca Ross presents the reader with a thrilling conclusion to Brienna MacQuinn's story. A fantasy epic set in the Renaissance era, it's a must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo.

Brienna has finally become a Loremaster and is settling into her role as adopted daughter of Davin MacQuinn, a disgraced lord who has returned to Maevana to restore his House's honor. Despite having just survived the war that finally restored a queen to the throne, Brienna faces new challenges: she must prove herself worthy of the MacQuinns; balance her duties to her father's House with those to her country as confidant to Queen Isolde Kavanagh; and then there's Cartier, the most compelling factor in her new life.

Cartier Évariste, or rather Aodhan Morgane, is adapting to the stark contrast between his pre-war life as a loremaster in Valenia and his current one as lord of a defeated House. While restoring his castle, he meets Tomas, a ten-year-old boy whose past and family are a complete mystery. Then, when his former pupil becomes as attached to the boy as he is, Cartier allows himself to wonder: what if he didn't have to care for Tomas and his castle alone?

As events rapidly unfold, Brienna and Cartier must put their feelings aside and focus on forging alliances, executing justice, and ensuring that no one interferes with the queen's coronation. But resistance is forming among the allies of the ancien régime, who are desperate to find a weakness in the rebel forces.